Metaphor Computer Systems
Encyclopedia
Metaphor Computer Systems (1982–1994) was a Xerox PARC
spin-off that created an advanced workstation, database gateway, a unique graphical office interface, and software applications that communicate. The Metaphor machine was one of the first commercial workstations to offer a complete hardware/software package and a GUI. Although the company achieved some commercial success, it never achieved the fame of either the Apple
Macintosh or Microsoft Windows
.
and Don Massaro founded. The head of engineering was Charles Irby.
In 1992, IBM, one of its primary customers, acquired the company outright.
Metaphor was located at 1965 Charleston Road, Mountain View
, California
, United States
, North America
.
.
Two different workstations models were produced. Workstation One had an external electronics enclosure. Workstation Two had integrated electronics.
The DIS software pulled data from SQL databases, analyzed it and presenting it using iconic applications for database gateway, spreadsheet, plot, email, and printing tools.
, who bought their systems hardware from IBM. Metaphor and IBM created a venture called Patriot Partners that eventually included Apple Computer. The attempt was to create an organization that could produce a solid business line of object-oriented software. Rather than capitalize the venture, IBM purchased Metaphor in 1992 and operated it as a wholly owned, independent subsidiary. In October 1994, Metaphor ceased operations.
Xerox PARC
PARC , formerly Xerox PARC, is a research and co-development company in Palo Alto, California, with a distinguished reputation for its contributions to information technology and hardware systems....
spin-off that created an advanced workstation, database gateway, a unique graphical office interface, and software applications that communicate. The Metaphor machine was one of the first commercial workstations to offer a complete hardware/software package and a GUI. Although the company achieved some commercial success, it never achieved the fame of either the Apple
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
Macintosh or Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
.
History
David LiddleDavid Liddle
David Liddle is co-founder of Interval Research Corporation, consulting professor of computer science at Stanford University, and credited with heading development of the groundbreaking Xerox Star computer system. He has served on the board of many corporations. He was chair of the board of...
and Don Massaro founded. The head of engineering was Charles Irby.
In 1992, IBM, one of its primary customers, acquired the company outright.
Metaphor was located at 1965 Charleston Road, Mountain View
Mountain View, California
-Downtown:Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Hardware
The Metaphor workstation was lightweight and efficient. It had a wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, wireless numeric pad, and a wireless 5-function keypad. All these input devices docked in the desktop workstation where they were recharged. Objects on the desktop and open applications had a uniform command set that could be controlled by the keypad which had Copy, Move, Delete, Options, and Size. Workstations were connected with Ethernet. The industrial design of the workstation was done by Mike Nutall of Matrix Product Design. It won a gold medal from the IDSA. The workstation itself was engineered by James Yurchenco at David Kelley Design. Both Matrix and David Kelley Design were precursors of IDEOIDEO
IDEO is an international design and innovation consultancy founded in Palo Alto, California, United States with other locations in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Boston, London, Munich, Shanghai, and Singapore, as well as Mumbai, Seoul, and Tokyo. The company helps design products, services,...
.
Two different workstations models were produced. Workstation One had an external electronics enclosure. Workstation Two had integrated electronics.
GUI Origins
Xerox PARC had in 1979 developed the Alto. Alto was the first computer with a bitmap display, mouse and a desktop metaphor as a graphical user interface (GUI). Xerox commercialized it as the Star. David Liddle was head of Business Development at Xerox and had obtained keen insights from customers. Although Xerox thought their GUI systems would sell more Xerox machines, businesses really wanted access to databases.DIS
The Metaphor GUI provided a unique visualization of end-to-end elements in an enterprise. In total, Metaphor branded this as a Data Interpretation System (DIS), which is a class of Decision Support System (DSS)The DIS software pulled data from SQL databases, analyzed it and presenting it using iconic applications for database gateway, spreadsheet, plot, email, and printing tools.
Capsule
Because Metaphor applications were built so they communicated with each other, they could be moved into and automated in a "Capsule". The name taken from the manned space capsules of the time. Even in today's GUI designs, this concept has never been attempted because it requires the interoperation of every application, a uniform dataflow model, and a communication protocol usable by a supervisor in a programmatic way.Patriot Partners
As the company grew, it found it had an ideal product for brand managers at companies like Procter & GambleProcter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
, who bought their systems hardware from IBM. Metaphor and IBM created a venture called Patriot Partners that eventually included Apple Computer. The attempt was to create an organization that could produce a solid business line of object-oriented software. Rather than capitalize the venture, IBM purchased Metaphor in 1992 and operated it as a wholly owned, independent subsidiary. In October 1994, Metaphor ceased operations.